Gas-furnace.



A. FOLLIET.

l GAS FUR-NACE.

APPLIUATIol-x FILED 1111320, 1911.

M9569 1 Patented l1211111913 1 4 HEBTs-SHBET 2.

4 INVENTOR A. FOLLIBT.

GAS PURNACE. AiJPLwATIoN FILED JULY 2o, 1911.

` Pafented Jan. T, 1913.

@OOOOCGOCGGQ INVENTOR mvo s NPY ALEXANDRE FOLLIET, F BRUSSELS; BELGIUM.

Specificationl of lLetters Patent.

Patented Jan. 7, 1913.

Application led July 20, 1911. l Serial No. 639,500. V

Taall whom t may concern:

Be it known that I,ALEXANDRE FoLLnrr, a subject of France, residing at Brussels, Bel inm, have invented certain new l and use u1 Improvements in GasfFurnaces, of which the following is a speciicatioi..

This invention relates to gas furnaces,

,either with or without regenerators, and vmore particularly to a special constructlon .of means for introducin the combustible gas and air forcombustion into the comj bustionchamber or hearth of the furnace.

kThe novel construction is especiallydesigned for gas furnaces Where the distribution of the heat must be very uniform, both in the horizontal and inthe vertical sense,

even when the length of thehearth or combustion chamber is relativelygreat and although the conductivity of the body or ma- 2o terials subject to the action of the heat cannot be counted on to assist effectively 1n the uniform'distribution of the, same. Such 1s,

^ for example, the-case in'zine furnaces (muiiie 'furnaces or retort furnaces), in glass furnaces-(pot furnaces) and furnaces for calc1nat1o`n` or burning of refractory materials or products, etc.

The object of the invention is to improve .in a very material degree the manner off mixing the gas and air and conducting the combustion, with a view to avoiding darts of flame, explosions, or other inequalities of torts, etc.

50, the flame, together with a considerable radicombustion, securing maximum utilization of the calorific value of the gas, and the general improvement in the operation of the furnace and economy in consumption of re- In' aecordancewith this invention, means are provided for introducing the gas and air, through separate, narrow, adjacent slits, constructed and arranged to cause the air and gas to enter,thecombustionehamber in the vform of thin vertically-directed streams or slices, parallel and adjacent to each other, which streams or "slices2 travel and mingle side by side, 4so that'the to'ntactv is progressive and by the meeting of the broadest sides, permitting 'the maximum free 'and open eXpanslon or development of ation of heat. The constructionfis such that,

prior to this mixing of the gas and4 air Withinthe combustion chamber, there vcan be no possibility of mingling, and` no o portunity for the formation of daits of ame, .even

when the air for combustion is'pforced: byv a streams are individually regulableat will', without interruption ofthe operationof the furnace and without permitting"A 1 )xerriatiirev mixing of the air and gas, vwithl consequent explosion or formation of darts of flame.

In a specific embodiment of the invent-ion the slit for gas is always placed in front of; I

the slits for the admission of thev air, thatis,

blower. Means are provided whereby the the slits are 'not inl lateralalinement, but y overlap each other. Preferably, also, the

discharge ends of the slits are in the same plane. Moreover, desirable results maybe obtained by making the air and gas passages straight and by inclinin'g the outer end wall of the gas slit downward and 'inward and the 'inner end walls of the air slits down- 'Y ward and outward, so that the axes ofthe. 757

flat streams are reverselyin'clined impar# allel planes. For many purposes, also, itis j desirabley to incline the walls `:of the air slits laterally toward the intermediategas slit, so as to cause one or both of the streams of air to converge laterally toward the gas' stream. In accordance with .the invention, each gas slit is established as the axis of. symmetry for two air slits. thus arranged in groupsof three, orother odd number, of which the members are adjacent, but the spacing of which may be varied to greater or less degree in accordance with the particular objects .in "viewf The number of these gro-ups, as Well as their distribution along the lengthfof the. furnace, is determined bythe eiect andthe temperature to he obtained. Theslit kfor the introduction of gas is in direct communication with vthe conduit for gas (whether the latter 4is producer gas, villuminating gas, natural gas or vapor-ized :and inflamm le liquids), without possibilityof Contact of the gas with the .air before thev entranoe'of both into the combustion chamber. While each .group preferably .consists of three slits, aigasslit slits, the same' alternation and symmetrical arrangement may be preserved with a larger number of'slits in each group, .prol .viding always that-each gas slit is 'disposed r between two air slits in accordanc'e with the vprinciples set forth. Thus, a group of five slits, two gas slits alternating with three 'airsl1ts, is of essentially the. samenature as a three-slit group. Such larger ,groups-are" The slits are A arranged symmetrically between two air combustion should be relatively great, With a hearth of limited length but of rather great height.

The invention presents numerous advantages. The fact that any mixture of air and gas is impossible before their entrance into the heating chamber and the Very disposition of the parallel slits, insures the impossibility of the formation of darts of flame and the like, even when the air for combustion, instead of being aspirated by natural draft as is usually the case, is forced by a blower. In View of the Well-known disastrous effect of such inequalities in combustion upon the refractory crucibles or mufliers in the zinc furnaces, pot furnaces of glass-Works, etc., the importance of this feature is readily apparent. The ability to regulate the sections of the air and gas ports, absolutely, independently and instantly, without any interruption whatever to the operation of the furnace, enables variation to be made at will in the proportions of the air and gas, as well as in the height or distance at which the combustion is complete. By variation in the length .of the narrow slits and in the spacing of the air slits with reference to the axis of the gas slit, constituting the axis of symmetry, it is possible to 'augment or reduce one or more of the dimensions of the stream of burning gas in accordance with the particular end in View. The same is evidently true in the case of a combustion apparatus employing more than three slits and 1n which the axis of symmetry may be constivtuted by a middle air slit. In any of its forms, the 'construction makes it possible to obtain the maximum free and open espansion `or development ofthe flame, together with a very considerable radiation of rthe the heat. p

. The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention as applied to a doubleffaced zinc furnace. 73;!

Figure l is a transverse vertical section through the two combustion chambers and the ducts thereof, the, sections of the two halves of the furnaces being taken in different planes, so that the section at the right cuts an air port while the section at the lleft cuts a gas port; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section, the two halves being taken on different planes, one cutting through the air duct and the other through the gas duct; Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section through an end portion of the combustion orretort chamber and the ducts thereover, this section cutting the gas ports; Fig. 4 is a similar view, but taken through the air ports and show iug a somewhat different construction of the latter, togetherwith means for Varying the passage of Huid therethrough; and Fig. 5 is a view showing the same form of ports ifor proper combustion.

as Fig. 3, but taken through the air ports and showingbut a short length of the furnace.

The retort chambers L at opposite sides of the furnace may be of usual or any preferred construction, and communication between them may be afforded in a suitable manner, as by means of the openings O through the base of the central -wall separatirig the chambers.

A and Gr represent the air and gas ducts, respectively, of which there are 4two sets, one set for each side of the furnace. Preferably these ducts are disposed in longitudinal alinementwith the combustion or retort chambers, either over or under the same, and in particular I prefer to superpose these ducts, with the gas duct over the air duct. The ducts may communicate at opposite ends with vertical passages through which the gas and air enter from the regenerators, if these are used, and through knace, Where they mingle and burn, thence by the openings O to the combustion chamber at the other side of the furnace,from which they pass by the said ports into the other set of gas and air ducts, from which they How through t-he regenerators, (not shown), and thence to the stack. Upon reversal the fluids flow in the reverse manner.

In accordance with the invention the gas and air for combust-ion are introduced into the combustion chamber, without possibility of previous'mixing, in the form of Athin vertically moving streams or slices parallel and sufficiently adjacent to each other The admission ports are disposed in groups, there being one or more groups for each combustion chamber or side of the furnace, preferably a plurality of groups distributed along each half of the furnace. bustion unit consists, in the typical instance, of three slit-like ports, a gas port between two air ports. However, a larger number Each group or comof ports may be included in eachb group,

providing that the air and gas ports alternate, with the air ports in the majority and each gas port between two air ports. Upon the number of ports employed will depend whether the center of a gas port or the center of an air port constitutes the axis of symmetry for the group. These groups of mon level. In accordance with the best embodiment of the invention the 4gas and air ports of each group aile in staggered relation, and preferably 1n overlapping relation, the gas port being always outside or in i advance of the air ports, as shown in Fig. 2.

AIn addition, the end walls of the and air slits are preferably inclined in converg ing planes, so that'while the streams of air I and gas may be regarded as traveling in parallel planes, ;yet their axes may be regarded having reverse or converging inclinations, the result being that the streams enter the one between the others in an oblique manner, so that the gas stream, which at its base is only partially or slightly include d between the air streams, enters more and more therebetween as the streams pro- Uress. Thus I procure a gradual and ef- Iective mixing 'of the fluids by virtue of the fact that lthey travel in iiat streams or slices substantially parallel to each other,

` so that the contact or mingling is progressive and by the largest area of the streams.

The nature of the mixing and burning ,is further improved by the overlapping convergence of the streams. The inclinationof the end walls of the gas and air ports is illus- 'tra'ted in Fig. l, where both end walls of `the gas port are shown inclined and the rear -end wall of the air port is also shown inclined.

. In the particular construction illustrated the air ports a are formed by` openings through thejarches of the retort chambers connecting thelatter with the air ducts A. The gas ports g are shown as forming continuations of downtalre passages g extending from' the gas ducts G through the air ducts A, but with the interiors cut oit from all communication with the latter. In the particular construction illustrated, the gas ports are shorter` from eiid wall to end wall than the down-take passages g. Preferably, also, the gas ports are considerably shorter in this horizontal direction than the air ports. it

It is a feature of my invention that the kpassage ci fluid 'through the air and gas lports may bel instant-ly regulated, independently of each other and without in any manner atleet-ing the running of the furnace. To

through the outer walls of ,the furnace, which openings communicate with the passages that lead the gas and air downward openings the iiow of Huid to the chambers may be regulated, as to volume or direction or both, by`- suitable means. In Figs. l and 2 I` have illustrated refractory balls Z) as suitable means for partially obstructing` these slits. These balls may be manipulated by a rod or the like i". It will be understood that these control openings are normally closure. `-I' have illustrated the openings pa as at the level of the bottom of the air ducts A, so that the balls 6' or 'the like are .Slid over the bottom of these ducts onto the slits a., The openings pg 'may beformed either at the. level of the bottom of the gas duct Gr at theleft of Fig. l. An opening may be employed 'atene or other of these points, or both openings may be utilized. The open ings pa and 23g also serve for purposes of cleaning. As shown in Fig. Il, one or both of the side walls of eachair slit a, may be more or less inclined toward the intermediate gas s lit, so that the air streams-may eral manner toward the gas stream. In cert-ain instances, such convergence is of material advantage. The degree ofsuch convergence, as well as` the amount of the fuel admitted, may `be regulated by any suitable means manipulated through refractory bricks or plates b,

the air streams may be caused to converge cording to'necessity. The furnacemay be provided with other openings for access in cleaning, as indicated at P and p.

Itis believed that the operation of the including air and gas passages with separate. narrow, adjacent and vertically di'- rected slitrinoutlis, for causing the air and gas streams to enter the retort chamber in thin adja'centilayers so that all particles of. air and gas move veitically'and downwardly in one general direction into thefretort cnt eringjsaid chamber, said slit mouths beto the retort chambers, so that through these I closed by means of a brick or othei` suitable v or the bottom of the air duct A, as shown be caused to converge more or less in a late.

the openings ym, as for instance the.,

which may be moved about as desired. Thus,'

laterally toward the gas stream or not, ac-y invention has been made clear during the this end I provide openings 7m and pg'.

distributed throughout thechainbei', means,

chamber withoutpreliminary'mixing before i' ing arranged in groups with each gas slit between the mouths of t-Wo air slits and in substantially the same plane, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

' 2. In a gas furnace having a retort chamber, means, including air and gaspassages with separate, narrow, adjacent, independent and vertically directed slit mouths, for causing the air and gas streams to enter the retort chamber in thin adjacent layers so that all particles of air and gas move vertically in one general direction into the retort chamber without preliminary mixing before entering said. chamber, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a gas furnace having a combustion chamber, means for admitting air and gas thereto and producing mixing thereof, said means including a group `of separate narrow parallel adjacent vertical slits for the air and gas, each gas slit being arranged between two air slits, and each air slit having one or both sidewalls inclined toward the gas slit, together with means whereby the direction of the narrow streams emerging from said air slits may be slightly varied laterally.

4. In a gas `furnace having a combustion chamber, t-he means of introducing gas and air including separate superposed. air and gas duets 1n vertical alme ment with the combustion chamber, the nearer duct communicating with the com bustion chamber by means of vertical narrow slit openings, and the other `duct also communicating with the chamber'by I means of vertical gasltight narrow flues through the nearer duct terminating in narrow slit-mouths, the slits being arranged in groups in which the air and gas slits alternate, with'the air slits in the majority, the

slits of each allel to each as described.

5. In a gas furnace having ia combustion chamber, separate narrow slits vert-ical and parallel, side by side for leading respectively air and gas to the combustion chamber and communicating respectively with superposed and separate air and gas ducts, of `which the .walls are provided with apertures communicating withv saidrvertica'l slits, and means whereby the longitudinal or transverse dimension of the openings may be readily varied independently of each other so as to converge the air and gas streams laterally, substantially as set forth. V,

6. In a gas furnace having a combustion chamber, means for supplying air and gas thereto and `producing gradual mixing of the gaseous fluids, said means including air group being adjacent and parother, the whole substantially and gas passages with separate narrow adjacent slit-like ports arranged to cause the air and gas to enter the combustion chamber in thin vertically directed streams traveling and mingling side by side, the slit-like ports being arranged with each gas port between two air ports but offset therefrom.

7. In a gas furnace having a combustion chamber, means for supplying air and gas thereto and producing gradual mixing of the air and gas, said means including air and gas passages with separate narrow ad? so that all particles of air and gas move vertically in one general direction into the combustion chamber without preliminary mixing before entering said chamber, the slitslike air and gas ports being in parallel staggered relation.

9. Agas furnace having a combustion chamber and means, including straight ai'r and gas passages with separate, narrow, adjacent a-nd vertically directed slit-like ports, for-causing the air and gas streams to enter the combustion chamber in rthin adjacent layers so that all particles of air and gas move vertically and downwardly in one gen-- eral direction into the combustion chamber without preliminary mixing 'before entering said chamber, the slit-like air and gas. ports being arranged with each gas port between two air ports.

10. In a gas furnace, the combination of a chamber'to receive the articles to be heated, and means for causing the air and gas,

streamsto enter the chamber of the furnace in -thin adjacent layers so that all particles of air and gas move vertically in one general direction, into thel furnace chamber without 'preliminary mixing before entering saidchamber. j g

In testimony whereof, I have signedmy name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALEXANDRE FOLLIET.

IVitnesses:

CHARLES A. JOHNSON, EMILE VAN WAnsEnLE. 

